Russian media has been known to have a profound effect on civil life. “ A quarter of the population speak Russian as the first language and watch a lot of Russian-language media in Latvia, ” explains Verhelst, “ and many Latvian speakers over 30 speak Russian as a second or third language. Between 1944 and 1989, Bulgaria was part of the Moscow-led Eastern military-political bloc and was considered the most loyal satellite of the Soviet Union. Located on the edges of the Russian Federation, the tiny Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are regarded by the Kremlin as rightfully belonging inside Moscow’s sphere of influence. Since breaking away from the disintegrating Soviet Union in the early 1990s however, the three countries have plotted their own course toward the West. Council president says Russia will do ‘whatever it can’ to undermine European unity. After 1918, Russian influence in the Balkans was linked to the spread of communist ideology. Latvian police detained and questioned Rimsevics on Feb. 17 in connection to a bribery case, a fishing trip in Russia and American allegations that a Latvian … The chapter about the Kremlin’s information influence activities uses Latvia’s case, where the country’s education system is transferring to the Latvian language in Russian language public schools where studying is currently split 60-40 between Latvian and Russian languages respectively. Russian influence can involve many aspects of Russian society and other governments and their societies, and it can include extralegal networks too. A scenery of the eastern Latvian region of Latgale. The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have proven to be staunch American allies since they regained their independence in … German landowners managed to retain their influence in Latvia, but indigenous Latvian nationalism grew rapidly in the early 20th century. Russian–speaking minorities constitute a significant proportion of the populations of Latvia and Estonia, and to a lesser extent, Lithuania. We have invited to presents of each country, Alexander Menos, who's international secretary of Unity Youth Organization in Latvia. Reestablishment of Russian dominance in Latvia would effectively isolate Estonia and bring Kaliningrad closer to the Russian mainland. These populations, in turn, exercise political power through parties such as Estonia's Center Party and Latvia's Harmony Center. Following the Russian seizure of Crimea in 2014 and the continued presence of Russian forces in Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, the threat of conflict between the west and Russia is greater than it has been since the fall of the Soviet Union. 14, no. Latvia shares a 214 km border with Russia and is host to one of the largest ethnic Russian communities in the European Union and NATO. Nearly 25 percent of all Latvians boast Russian lineage and 37 percent of Latvian citizens are native Russian speakers. RUSSIAN INFLUENCE IN LATVIA. On the one hand, Russia has antagonized Baltic states through its wars in Georgia and Ukraine, on the other hand, deep integration in the EU and NATO has pulled the Baltic states from the Russian zone of influence. Russian oligarchs, politicians, managers and civil servants use Latvia, particularly its banking system, to facilitate their own (both legal and illegal) business operations To navigate Latvian political and institutional waters, Russia’s principal political ally in Latvia is the center-left Harmony party. There is pro- and anti-Russian commentary in the media, even as some comedy TV programs produce parodies mocking Western leaders. I N THE early 1990s the president of newly independent Estonia gave a speech in Hamburg. This article discusses the gradual decrease of Russia's influence in the Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania while considering the increased NATO presence in the region, Baltic … The power of information-technologies when applied to weaponry increased As was the case in Belarus before this year, Russian influence in the civil societies of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia is limited. Russia’s influence in Latvia may be waning as the Baltic country continues to gravitate toward Europe, reports research and news agency Stratfor. Justification: Latvia’s status as a NATO front-line state has taken on greater importance in the current geopolitical environment, and Latvian leaders have consistently expressed concern about Russia’s intensifying threat of “hybrid warfare” in the altic states – It … 2, 2016, pp. generally hav e content being produced in Latvia and/or Russia. Since 2010, the “Concord” party remained the largest party in Latvia to represent Russian minority rights and promote the importance of good … But Russia‘s influence plays an even greater role says correspondent Koen Verhelst, who lives in Riga. The report also suggests Spain’s efforts helped squeeze financing otherwise used to support Russian influence efforts. Jakobsons said the Russian influence remained pervasive with one party, the Russian Union of Latvia, distributing leaflets saying that Latgale, in eastern Latvia… KRAKOW, Poland — Vladimir Putin’s Russia represents a major threat to the unity of the European Union, President of the European Council Donald Tusk said Saturday. The Kremlin has several economic instruments at its disposal which could be used to cause significant negative impact on Latvian economy. 20 March 2017. Deterring Russian Aggression in the Baltic States Through Resilience and Resistance Introduction The governments and citizens of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—the Baltic states—are subject to daily Russian strategic information operations and propaganda activities that are part of campaigns Information is one of the most common means of unconventional warfare, especially in post-Soviet countries. Government Activities Against Russian Influence & Disinformation Of the Baltic states, Latvia has the largest proportion of Russians who constitute a quarter of the country’s … In the second half of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries the educated segments of the population became fluent in Russian. Russian language is very present in Riga and in the eastern part of Latvia. This article discusses the gradual decrease of Russia's influence in the Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania while considering the increased NATO presence in the region, Baltic energy security, and Baltic Russian-speaking communities. 49, 54. Whether an older Latvian nostalgic for the Soviet period or a young person listen to Adele online, Latvians remain preoccupied with Russian influence. The importance of Russian dates to Is it possible to say that Russia can potentially use Latvian Orthodox Church as one of its tools of influence over Russian-speakers living in Latvia? The Russian Laundromat Exposed. It is a good read, but its findings are not directly applicable outside of Latvia (and, possibly, Lithuania and Estonia). Latvia shares a 214 km border with Russia and is host to one of the largest ethnic Russian communities in the European Union and NATO. The Baltic Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, but were only militarily free from post-Soviet influence in 1998. Russian speakers in Latvia are not inherently supportive of Russia (especially since the invasion of Crimea), but are rather divided into several camps: support for Russia, loyalty to Latvia, and a neutral position. It is also seen in the country's politics. July 7, 2016. Despite Latvia’s difficult relations with Russia, two major Latvian cities engage in initiatives adhering to the interests of the eastern neighbour, researchers of the Centre for East European Policy Studies … German landowners managed to retain their influence in Latvia, but indigenous Latvian nationalism grew rapidly in the early 20th century. Latvia, … The closing of the Druzhba ("friendship") oil pipeline in July 2006, ostensibly for repairs, is cited as exhibit number one that Russia uses energy supplies to influence Lithuania's domestic affairs. During the Soviet period Russian was … However, automatic citizenship in the new Latvian … Latvia's Russian minority is a major domestic political force, accounting for about 25 percent of its nearly 2 million people, a legacy of nearly 50 years of Soviet occupation that ended in 1991. The study analyzed pro-Russian trolling on the internet in Latvia in Russian and Latvian languages. “ A quarter of the population speak Russian as the first language and watch a lot of Russian-language media in Latvia,” explains Verhelst, “and many Latvian speakers over 30 speak Russian as a second or third language.” DONATE. While Russian influence is the most obvious in the Balkans, an upsurge of populism in Central Europe has also played into Moscow's hands, providing sympathetic political parties and politicians across the continent, including in European Union nations like Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic. The city council of Riga, Latvia’s capital, intends to continue with a cooperation agreement with OJSC Giprostroymost Institute, a Russian company sanctioned by the EU and the United States, RT reported on Monday citing Una Ahuna-Ozola, a representative of the Department of Transport of the city council.. Fight fake news. The CSIS Europe Program, in partnership with the Bulgarian Center for the Study of Democracy, recently concluded a 16-month study to understand the nature of Russian influence in five case countries: Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Latvia, and Serbia. http://preparetoserve.com Russian Influence in the Baltics (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia). The Baltic states’ belonging to the European space isn’t a given. Russia's support is seen as a way for the country to expand and maintain its influence in the Middle East; it has also benefited from a U.S. administration under … On March 7, Latvian Culture Minister Zaneta Jaunzeme-Grende issued a statement urging Latvian citizens to speak Latvian, not Russian, when addressing the media. Apparently, Russia’s factor is present in Latvia and it may have an influence on a number of issues varying from mutual trade, investments and business environment to perceptions of regional security dynamic, domestic political configuration and role of Russian-speaking minority to media and culture. Written Latvian bore little relationship to the spoken language until 1638. Nearly 25 percent of all Latvians boast Russian lineage and 37 percent of Latvian citizens are native Russian … It is almost never heard in the western or the northern part of the country. As a result of the Moltov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1940, which secretly divided Eastern Europe into Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence, Latvia came under Soviet control. Estonia and Latvia, two of the three former Soviet Baltic states, have each seen drops of about 10 percentage points in the proportion of their population citing Russian as their first language since 1994, with Russian speakers in Latvia falling from 40.5 percent to 29.8 percent, and those in Estonia from 33.3 percent to 23.4 percent.

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